14/05/2026
Lest we forget.
Let’s also not forget the 75 civilian merchant mariners on board, including the Captain, the deck officers, the Chief Engineer and the marine engineers, the Bosun & the able seamen and the oilers & wipers, and the Chief Steward and the cooks & stewards. Odd how the merchant mariners are not mentioned when they were also serving in harms way alongside their uniformed counterparts, and still do.
Today we remember the sinking of Australian Hospital Ship (AHS) Centaur, which was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine off the Queensland coast on this day in 1943. Bound for Port Moresby, the ship’s passengers included Royal Australian Navy crew, members of the 2/12th Field Ambulance and civilian nurses and doctors. Of the 332 people on board at the time of the attack, only 64 of them survived.
The 2/12th Field Ambulance was practically wiped out in the sinking, and Sister Ellen Savage was the only surviving nurse. She provided medical care to other survivors despite being badly injured herself and was later awarded the George Medal.
Few disasters during World War II impacted Australians as deeply as the loss of the Centaur. Its sinking caused widespread outrage and became a symbol of Australia’s determination to continue fighting the war.
📸 Australian War Memorial
